Five more international players commit to Travelers Championship

Published 5:03 pm, Thursday, June 14, 2012

CROMWELL -- Five more big names, all with an international flavor, have committed to play in the 2012 Travelers Championship golf tournament next week.

Angel Cabrera, Y.E. Yang, Rory Sabbatini, Jhonattan Vegas and Camilo Villegas will compete at TPC River Highlands from June 18-24, the tournament announced.

"Our field continues to get stronger and we're pleased to have these five top international players compete at TPC River Highlands next week," said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube.

Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera will be making his first appearance at the Travelers Championship. The Argentina-born Cabrera has saved his two victories for some of the biggest events on TOUR, winning the U.S. Open in 2007 and the Masters Tournament in 2009. Cabrera plays often on the European Tour, having won five career events abroad. This season, Cabrera has two top-25 finishes.

Y.E. Yang is making his third appearance at TPC River Highlands, and his first since 2009.

In recent years, the South Korea-born Yang has proven to be a contender in major championships. He won the PGA Championship in 2009, tied for eighth at the Masters Tournament in 2010, and in 2011, tied for third at the U.S. Open and finished in the top-20 in the Open Championship. His best finish this season was a tie for 17th at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, and he is currently ranked No. 68 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Rory Sabbatini will make his third appearance at the Travelers Championship. The South Africa native is coming off his best performance of the season, a T2 at the Memorial Tournament. Sabbatini has had a successful career, earning six TOUR victories and nearly 30 top-three finishes. This season he has four top-25 finishes and is currently ranked No. 55 in the FedExCup Rankings and No. 66 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Venezuela-born Jhonattan Vegas will be making his second straight appearance at the Travelers Championship. The 27-year-old earned his PGA TOUR card in 2011, where he experienced a breakout year. Last season, he earned his first victory at the Bob Hope Classic in just his fifth career professional start. This year, Vegas' best finish was a T7 at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Camilo Villegas will be appearing at TPC River Highlands for the second time. The Columbia-born golfer has had tremendous success since turning professional in 2004, earning three TOUR victories and nearly $15 million in career earnings. During that stretch he's finished in the top-10 in majors three times. This season he has three top-25 finishes.